


A Sun to Maybe Dissipate

by tomfoolery14



Series: Dialogue Prompts [8]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Boys In Love, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Light Angst, M/M, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-26
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-07-18 00:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16106699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomfoolery14/pseuds/tomfoolery14
Summary: Wrapped in cool silk and bathed in moonlight, Alec felt truly at peace. Where his body met Magnus they experienced a feedback loop of body heat. Sometimes they talked about the events of the day, sometimes of their concerns for the future or the weight of the past, and sometimes of the sweetest nothings that existed deep within. On occasion, Alec would ask Magnus to tell him a story of the long forgotten past.orMagnus and Alec have settled into a nighttime routine and Alec likes to hear the stories of Magnus' past





	A Sun to Maybe Dissipate

**Author's Note:**

> based on the dialogue prompt "tell me again."

Comfort had never been something Alec sought out until he met Magnus.

For years, he looked for ways to repress, to numb what he felt. It was a poor facsimile of relief, and often came at some kind of price. Bruised knuckles and torn, bloody skin were easy to disguise as hazards of the job. Pain was more manageable companion than shame.

But then, Magnus came to him, like sunlight breaking through the clouds and making clear things that had been hiding in the dark. He was endlessly understanding and forgiving; kind to others because they had not been kind to him. Every time he forgave Alec, told him that his mistakes didn’t define him, Alec felt like the guilt that sat heavy inside him was beginning to crumble.

With Magnus, he began to build a routine—a way to care for himself in the safety of a real home. Every night, when they had both returned to the loft, they shared a lingering, warm kiss. It served as a prelude, a taste of what would come. Next, they took a bath or shower, depending on the mood they were in. Showers were for the nights when they had something to look forward to like going out for dinner, or getting ice cream in the park. Baths were for the more difficult nights, when they came to one another with tired bones and aching muscles. After a meal, sometimes they had more work to do, leaving Magnus to retire to his apothecary and Alec to the lounge, but like clockwork, when it was time for bed, they would get in bed in various degrees of undress and talk.

Wrapped in cool silk and bathed in moonlight, Alec felt truly at peace. Where his body met Magnus they experienced a feedback loop of body heat.

Sometimes they talked about the events of the day, sometimes of their concerns for the future or the weight of the past, and sometimes of the sweetest nothings that existed deep within.

On occasion, Alec would ask Magnus to tell him a story of the long forgotten past.

No one could weave a tale like Magnus; he had many lifetimes worth of stories tucked away inside of him that were just waiting for the right person to listen. Alec was more than happy to be that. He loved the sound of Magnus’ voice, and the way he laughed fondly as he recalled past blunders and exploits. It took only a moment before Alec was enraptured.

“What?” Magnus asked one night, looking at Alec with a shy smile. They were lying on their sides, facing each other with their ankles crossed over one another. His back was to the window, causing the moonlight that streamed through the window to create a halo of silver around him.

“Tell me about your time living in Oia,” Alec replied softly, bumping his knee against Magnus’.

Magnus laughed, his shoulders shaking slightly. “I’ve told you that story many times, αγάπη μου. You aren’t tired of it?”

Of all the pieces of his life Magnus handed over willingly to Alec, this was one of his favorites.

His time in Greece occurred not long after he and Asmodeus parted ways. It served as a turning point in his life as a young warlock; he had learned that using his magic for destruction and terror wasn’t something he could stomach. He yearned for peace and solitude, and the remote village of Oia in Santorini, Greece was the perfect place for it.

“It’s one of my favorite stories of yours,” Alec admitted. “Tell me again. Please?”

With a playfully dramatized sigh, Magnus relented. “Oia was the most beautiful place I’d ever seen at that time in my life. Everything was light and bright and beautiful. The spaces were wide open, and the air was fresh and brought a cool breeze to the whole village. Most of the homes were mostly open with huge windows and doors and walkways and porches, and painted white and blue. I lived in one that was close to the docks and the ocean. I used to start every day and night with a swim… There was nothing more beautiful than a sunrise or moon beams on the clear water. I felt like I could breathe and just exist freely there. It reminded me of bit of where I come from, in Batavia.

“There was a family that lived next to me—a single father with two children. His name was Nikos and he was a fisherman. His two daughters, Agathe and Cosima, worked as seamstresses for the people in the village. He was a hardworking man, and a loving father, but he was still mourning the loss of his wife. He told me that her name was Adelpha and that she was the most ravishing creature he’d ever beheld. She was the love of his life, and he never remarried. But as much as he loved her, there was no one he loved more than those two little girls. He told me they both looked much like Adelpha.

“When Nikos was working and the girls had free time, they would often come over to visit me. I entertained them with a bit of magic, and shared with them fairy tales I had collected in my travels. They had the sweetest little smiles, and the warmest hearts.” Magnus looked wistful as he spoke of them, tracing the shell of his ear thoughtfully.

Alec was still learning the depth of which Magnus had loved and lost, and Magnus’ solution to remember fondly and carry that love through time seemed to be the best way to manage. Leaning forward, Alec pressed a lingering kiss to Magnus’ temple, his hand coming up to cradle his cheek. “Tell me about the flowers you helped them grow,” Alec prompted.

“Ah, the bougainvillea,” Magnus hummed, tapping his fingers affectionately against Alec’s wrist. “They’re the most beautiful flowers, and they were Adelpha’s favorite. The two little girls had been trying to revive the blooms in time for her birthday so that they could present them to Nikos, but they just weren’t growing. The two of them were crushed, and so I…offered a bit of advice,” he smiled. “I told them if they made sure to properly water them and encouraged them along, they would be fully grown just in time. And with Agathe and Cosima’s proper praise and a little bit of my help…” Magnus fluidly twisted his wrist, curling his fingers in a pantomime, “they came through just in time. The three of them were delighted.”

“You’re a good man, Magnus,” Alec whispered, looking down at their hands that had found their way to each other, fingers intertwined. “The best.”

“Why do you like that story so much?” Magnus asked carefully. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, and Alec wanted to kiss the little freckle just above the right one.

“Well…” Alec paused, pretending to think. “It reminds me of exactly the kind of person you are, and exactly how lucky I am.”

Magnus twisted Alec’s wedding ring around on his finger, eyes cast down to look at it. “I’ll take you to Oia sometime soon, and maybe we can make some more memories.”

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on [tumblr](http://royaltybane.tumblr.com)


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